Growers Fare is Connecting Local West Michigan Farmers to You

The West Michigan Growers Group partners with Michigan State University Extension and the Downtown Market to host the 2017 Growers Fare: CSA Open House, an event for the West Michigan community interested in connecting with and supporting farmers growing and selling local food. This event is open to the public and will be held on Saturday, March 25 in the second-floor banquet room at Grand Rapids Downtown Market from 10am to 1:30pm.

This year the event is led by a consortium of farmers, the West Michigan Growers Group, which recently formalized as a 501 C(3) nonprofit in January. MSU Extension and Downtown Market are both supporters of the event.

West Michigan Growers Group has been in operation as a farmer-to-farmer organization since April 2012, meeting monthly for a potluck and farm tour to exchange ideas and tools and organize shared labor and other costs. All WM Grower Group farms are committed to bringing sustainably grown products to their local communities, and most operate a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, in which subscribers receive a weekly or biweekly share of the harvest throughout the growing season. Farms range geographically from Kent City to Ada—and even one farmer growing within Grand Rapids’ city limits.

The event will include food samples from Market vendors who source local produce, activities for children, and a meet-and-greet for farmers and community members. Attendants will have the opportunity to identify which farms are closest to their homes and have face-to-face conversations with CSA farmers about their growing practices, products they offer, season length, and share prices and types. This is the third annual event hoping to educate local residents about the CSA model and bring more awareness to small-scale farms in the region.

This event will be held in the banquet room at the Grand Rapids Downtown Market from 10am to 1:30pm on Saturday, March 25. For more information about the Growers Fare, contact Rachelle Bostwick at rachelle@earthkeeperfarm.com or (616) 890-7868 or visit www.wmgrowersgroup.org.